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By: Ian Essling
Waubonsee Community College officially kicked off their 40th Anniversary Celebration on Friday August 25th, with the dedication of the new Science Building.
The 46,590 square foot building, located in the center of Waubonsee's Sugar Grove Campus, is a cornerstone of Waubonsee's 2020 Plan and the second building to be completed.
The dedication ceremony featured an hour of self-guided tours for guests, as well as a formal ceremony.
Guests were welcome to explore the various labs and areas of the new building; most of the science labs featured displays and exhibits, and were open to the guests, while a number of science faculty demonstrated and explained the various disciplines.
Tracy Dosch, a biology instructor, took samples from participants to isolate their DNA, and numerous other instructors were on hand to explain the various facets of the new labs.
Waubonsee's new Science Building offers many significant upgrades and opportunities for students and faculty alike.
Some of the special features include an overhead camera system in the anatomy labs that can be used for in-depth study of cadavers, a fossil preparation lab that contains more than 100 unique mineral, rock and fossil samples, a weather station that gives students the chance to view real-time weather information, and a seismograph for students to view earthquake data.
Another event taking place at the Science Building Dedication and 40th Anniversary Kick Off was the internment of the Waubonsee time capsule, a project that will preserve this date in history.
Waubonsee's time capsule was filled with a variety of items: various science faculty members placed flora and fauna samples from on-campus into the capsule, and a number of other science related materials such as textbooks, air and water samples, Mastodon Dig DVDs and brochures, and groundbreaking photos of the Science Building were placed in the capsule.
Additionally, copies of current Waubonsee publications were placed in the capsule, including Fall 2006 class schedules, staff newsletters, and a copy of this very publication, Insight.
The time capsule is scheduled to be opened in precisely 40 years, which will be August 25th, 2046.
In conjunction with Waubonsee's 40th. Anniversary, WCC began a recognition program called the "Fabulous 40," an elite group that will honor 40 alumni and students from Waubonsee Community College who embody the mission, ideals and vision of the college. These chosen few will be recognized over the next year.
The first such candidate was Dr. Jose Magana, a physician working for Dreyer Medical Clinic. Magana graduated from Waubonsee in 1986 with an Associate in Applied Science degree, and continued on in his education to earn a Bachelor's degree in physics and a medical degree.
The theme for Waubonsee's 40th Anniversary is Celebrating 40 Years of Student Success." Special events are planned for the next year, including the grand opening of the Academic and Professional Center in August 2007.
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